Intercultural

It is surprising to many Canadians today that 150,000 Aboriginal children were forced to go to Indian Residential Schools from 1831 to 1996 as part of Canada’s official efforts to assimilate the Indigenous people. It is not surprising that many victims did not survive the experience.

Walking with a survivor through the trauma of being removed from his home, language and culture at 6 years of age is emotional and uncomfortable. This uncomfortable journey is necessary if we are to empathise with those who eventually find a path to healing and a productive life.

”Yummo Comes Home” is the story of an Okanogan/ Thompson Aboriginal man who revisits the Kamloops B.C. Residential School building where he was hurt to reclaim and bring back home his boyhood innocence and confidence. The son of a settler immigrant, Don Klaassen, portrays the sentiments of the descendants of the immigrant settlers who are discovering this often forgotten portion of Canadian history.

The two men demonstrate what it means to experience reconciliation and take bold steps to shape a hopeful future in this 28 minute documentary video.